Tesla expands home charging installations to more markets

Today, we learn that the company has expanded the service in a few more markets.

Home Solar Power

Until last summer, Tesla buyers had to arrange their own home charging situation, which can range from virtually nothing by just using Tesla’s included mobile connector and a regular 110-volt plug to a full wall connector installation for level 2 charging at home.

They had to reach out to local electricians, get quotes, and time their installation to hopefully match the delivery of their new Tesla vehicle.

In August, Tesla started adding the option for a home charging installation to its online configurator in a few states:

Tesla has now updated its support page for the program and is listing a few more markets where the service is offered:

Arizona

Connecticut

Delaware

Massachusetts

Maryland

New Hampshire

New Jersey

New York

Nevada

Pennsylvania

Rhode Island

Texas

Utah

Vermont

The automaker says that the “services are performed primarily by Tesla employees, with some work being performed by contracted electricians.”

Electrek’s Take

Charging-related questions are quite common in the electric car buying experience and it’s often the top concern for new buyers.

It’s smart for Tesla to include the service as part of the EV buying experience in an attempt to streamline the process.

After the acquisition of SolarCity in 2016, Tesla CEO Elon Musk said that they plan to create a one-stop-shop where customers can buy a solar energy system, a Powerwall, an electric car, and a home charger, all at one place and have everything installed by a single team.

While they don’t seem to be quite there yet, it looks like the first step in this direction with Tesla taking over the logistics of installing home charging solutions.

It also makes sense since Tesla has taken over SolarCity’s installation teams and the company has now a lot more electricians in its ranks.

The company is also looking to hire more with 65 electrician jobs currently opened on its website.

With this said, the fact that it’s easier to let Tesla take over the installation process doesn’t necessarily mean that it will be cheaper. Tesla has been listing a $1,000 price average in the configurator only for the installation of a 240-volt outlet. Most quotes that I have seen were about half that, but it of course depends on the wiring where you are installing it.

As for the installation of a Wall Connector, the actual installation shouldn’t be much more expensive, unless you want the full 72A capacity. In this case, it can go up in price quite a bit, but most people choose to install 40A at home for a capacity of up to 32A.

We can always ask for quotes from other local electricians if you are not satisfied with the price.